What a good idea to include the violin concerto movements from the Haffner Serenade as a filler, rather than the more usual group of extra movements for violin and orchestra. The Serenade shows the 20-year-old Mozart with his imagination at full stretch; Frank, Zinman and the Zurich orchestra revel in the wit, the sensuous expressiveness and the melodic fecundity of this still neglected music. Pamela Frank gives us, here and throughout the two discs, violin playing of great technical purity. Sometimes one could wish for a stronger presence as a soloist - the first movement of K219 is a grander piece than she allows, as Grumiaux, for one, demonstrates - but she shows a rare ability to shape each phrase convincingly. The music speaks to us, naturally and without any affectation, yet respecting Mozart's indications, and such 18th-century conventions as tailing off the weak beats of the bar. She's given a splendidly positive, well-considered accompaniment. The bouncy rhythms and perfect orchestral balance of, say, the opening tutti to K216 establish a sense of joie de vivre that carries over into the violin playing.
Zinman's care for detail ensures that nothing of importance is overlooked: on the many occasions where the bass is carried by the second violin or viola these lines are given a bit of extra emphasis to highlight the harmonic movement. The horns deserve special mention; their purity of tone and rhythmic poise give a real sparkle to the outer movements of K207 and to the middle section of the Haffner Minuet, spectacularly scored for violin and wind. Zinman has also written the cadenzas (except in K219, where Frank plays the famous Joachim ones) - they're imaginative and stylish, but don't always sound improvisatory enough and occasionally seem too long (as at the end of the Haffner Rondo).
My favourite among recent modern-instrument Mozart concertos has been Christian Tetzlaff 's. He directs the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie and achieves a remarkable feeling of spontaneity, notably in the cadenzas and short linking passages which are all his own invention. Tetzlaff 's style, light and airy, suggests an affinity with period-instrument performance. In his hands, the sublime Adagio of K216 floats along effortlessly, whereas Frank and Zinman are expressive in a more studied way. Frank's tone and bowing are more traditional but she has an equally strong ability to bring the music to life, and she's supported by an unusually characterful orchestra and very crisp, clear recording. A very strong recommendation, then - it's a fantastic bargain.'